A hidden feature, aptly named “Elon Mode”, has been discovered by a Tesla software hacker, said a report by The Verge on Wednesday.
The feature enables hands-free driving in Tesla vehicles, said the report.
The hacker is known online as @greentheonly, added the report.
“After finding and enabling Elon Mode, greentheonly ventured out to test the system and posted some rough footage of the endeavor. They did not share the literal “Elon Mode” setting on the screen but maintain that it’s real,” said the report.
Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) is advanced driver-assist system that’s in beta. Tnis feature is currently available to anyone who paid as much as $15,000 for the option.
An internally leaked report last month showed that the FSD software has had thousands of customer complaints of sudden braking and abrupt acceleration.
“Tesla’s Autopilot system, the automaker’s first-generation driver-assist system for highways, requires you to nudge the steering wheel to confirm you’re being attentive during use. Owners often complain about the frequency of the system’s checks, leading some to call it “nagging”,” said the report.
“In addition to the existing hands-on-steering confirmation, vehicles that have a center interior camera (above the rearview mirror) will observe drivers to make sure they’re looking forward — but that’s also pretty finicky,” added the report.
“But for greentheonly’s near 600-mile test on Elon Mode, they found no such nagging,” said the report.
The hacker claims that the test was conducted on a company-owned vehicle.
Greentheonly wrote on Twitter that the system still seems to change lanes randomly and ends up driving slow on the highway.
Greentheonly said that Tesla’s software is more secure than ever compared to 2017.
In December, Musk had hinted that nag-free driving is coming.
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Updated: 22 Jun 2023, 01:47 AM IST
